September 29 – Cat bites and inspiration

My dearest family, this has been a good week. And kinda crazy too haha. This past Thursday we had the opportunity to go teach a Mother and her daughter (ysa age) who are starting/trying to come back to church. They are pretty neat and it was great to be there. We wanted to get to know them more and really understand what goals and struggles they had and really just where they saw themselves in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We got to know them but I couldn’t think of what to say that would really help them and touch them. Well, side story… they have a cat. And they said he wasn’t the nicest. Anyways, the cat was doing its own thing but then it came closer to us. They were a bit hesitant but the cat wasn’t doing anything bad so we went on. Haha so it decided to jump up to the couch we were on and walk over Sister Alvarez and then over to me. It was fine. I didn’t even try to pet it or touch it but carried on as normal. Then it started to like purr or whatever and after two seconds out of nowhere it just bit my hand! Hmmm… I was writing the story out in more detail but it sounded a bit intense haha so I’ve decided to just tell you that I got bit by a cat. They cleaned me all up and it was good. But best part, because of the incident (at least right after the incident) I was sitting back on the couch and thinking about it. And I knew that this directly linked with the atonement. We clearly knew that we needed to testify of Jesus Christ. It was so neat to see that through that anology the spirit worked and touched them. It was really neat. And the Mom came to women’s conference and church this past week!

(About the bite, We put polysporin and stuff on it and cleaned it out again and again. But then the next day it was worse and my hand swollen. So Sister Patrick (mission President’s wife- who is soooooo awesome) found out a bit more about cat bites and decided I should go to the hospital. It was a long night at the hospital (but miraculously fast at the same time) and now I have antibiotics. So I guess I also got my injury story of the mission!)

Okay and also, we found some other cool people who are interested in learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ. First is I. She is really neat and they are such a beautiful family! There is I, the mother and her two daughters (18 and 7). The one daughter is a member because her aunt (I’s sister) took her to church when she was younger and the other daughter is starting to come to church. Well, they want the youngest daughter to start taking the lessons to prepare her for her baptism because that’s what she wants. Her birthday isn’t until June but it is such a great opportunity to teach them as a family. The Mom was taught for a little bit before by the missionaries and had a good spiritual experience about the Book of Mormon. She says she is too busy with work though right now but talks as if one day she will be a member. But. We had a powerful lesson about the Book of Mormon and it was so wonderful because the one daughter bore her testimony to her mother and it was just great. The Mom seems ready, ready to learn more about the restored gospel. And they like us too haha! So we are going to continue teaching them 🙂

And also, C. One day we were in the car and Sister Alvarez saw this man on the sidewalk and was like, “I feel we should go talk to him”. So we did. He is overcoming some addictions but really wants to change his life around and said that maybe this was an answer to his prayers. Anyhow, we went there with his Mom (the power of a mothers prayer! whoa. never understood but wow. prayers are powerful) and taught him a lesson. He is hilarious! He’s got some important and hard things to change in his life but we know that it is more than possible- one step at a time and through the power and strength of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Like, he had a drink and wanted to smoke but when we asked him if he could wait until we were gone he was like, “oh. yeah, no problem” and then just put it away. It was actually really cool. He really has so much potential. And he lives in this area a bit farther away in our sector and we are super excited to get to work in that area more (there is a less active family there too).

I just love this gospel. I love the work. I wish I could just tell you every single miracle. Because there are so many. So many. I feel so blessed to be a part of this work. It was such a powerful, spiritually filled and inspiring week! (We even had a seventy come- Elder and Sister Carlson. Super awesome). Sister Alvarez and I are just pumped to keep working here. Like seriously, I can’t wait for the things we have planned today and the lessons we have set up. And the best part, I use to stress over when we had empty schedules or our lessons would fall through. I would be like, “Darn. What are we going to do now?” Not that we never found where we needed to be. But now, it’s like, “Okay, cool. Well, where does Heavenly Father want us to be?” And then we pray and every single time, GOD PROVIDES! It is so amazing! We are truly in His hands and it feels perfect 🙂

I love you and pray for you. I hope you have an AMAZING week! You are wonderful 🙂

Love,
Hermana Godfrey 🙂

I was just watching this mormon message. I like the message. Thought i’d share 🙂

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=3609934299001

September 22 – Scottish Day y Arepas

Happy Monday! This has been a pretty fun week. And I know I say miracles every week, but there are just so many! And this week, like, seriously it was just crazy. It was just like Bam! Miracles, miracles. Sooooo let me share with you my first week in LaSalle.

First, my companion is Sister Alvarez. She is from Colombia. (I love Colombia- like so much. It’s pretty ridiculous because I don’t know that much haha but just throughout my mission- Colombia.) She moved to Canada and moved back and forth from Colombia and Canada. But now her family is living in Calgary! So pretty cool. She is super funny and it’s a lot of fun to serve together. We have some visions/goals for this transfer and I’m excited to fulfill them!

Okay, I don’t even know where to start. Reunion de distrito. It was such a great way to start off the week (cause transfers are Wednesdays). The spirit was so strong as we shared insights and then did a role play teaching. Sister Alvarez and I were the ones teaching and it was cool because we were just bold but so loving and everyone felt the spirit. It really inspired us and set the tone of the week of miracles. After we went to Walmart (oh, got a car now- so weird. so great. so fast and effective. like it.) to get chalk to do the plan of salvation on the sidewalk for an activity (I thought of you Dad when you said you did it in Japan- at least I’m pretty sure). Anyways, we were there and Sister Alvarez recognized someone she knew the family from before the mission (she told me afterwards). It turned out to be a long lost less active member. She is so cool. It was weird because she knew a lot about Mormons (little did we know, well, I know haha). She was like, “Are you going to try to to make me Mormon? Cause it’s not going to work.” Haha. Well, we ended up visiting her yesterday. She has the cutest kids and she really doesn’t care for it right now. She is really open and super kind. We want to get to know her more and just kind of be there for her and her family. We are going to make them Arepas (Colombian food which I know how to make now) on Wednesday and have a picnic at the park with them.

Then, we were in the line at the check out and a father and son look over and are like, “Are you Mormons?” We were like, “Yeah! Yes we are!”. Haha they are great. Turned out to be Scottish Independence Day and they were going to play bagpipes (First time celebrating my scottish heritage like that! It felt super good!). So I asked him if he could play ‘Amazing Grace’ because that would be the coolest thing to hear on bagpipes. He could (the son). As well as Nearer My God to Thee and Lady Gaga. Haha it was really neat. So we asked if we could come join them at the park. Wow. What a cool experience, listening to bagpipes, violin and sharing our testimonies and beliefs about God and the Plan of Salvation. It was just beautiful. Everyone shared and I know that our message will fill their lives and make sense to them. I really hope we can continue to share that with them.

There are so many more amazing and wonderful experiences that happened and I would love to share them. It felt that miracle after miracle happened this week. I’d like to share my testimony. It’s been really amazing to see how my own testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ has grown throughout my mission. I don’t feel that I have grown in some crazy new and different radical aspect of the gospel. But rather, that I feel my testimony has grown deeper, expanded in the teachings of our Saviour and it continues to do so everyday. I know that Heavenly Father is our loving Heavenly Father, that He has a plan for us. I know that we lived as spirit children of our Heavenly Father before this life, that we grew in knowledge and personality and that we are sent here as a part of God’s plan- to learn, to grow, to receive a body and to prepare to meet God. And I know that death is not the final step, that we will one day be resurrected and have the opportunity to return to live with God, our Father, His son Jesus Christ and our families forever- in perfect peace, in perfect happiness and in perfect love. And I know that that is all possible gracias a Jesucristo. It’s beautiful, it’s perfect 🙂 I am grateful that every day I can continue to learn and learn from my mistakes and feel the love of God in my life. And I love and cherish having the opportunity to share that with others and allow them to see how it will change their lives as well.

I hope you all have an amazing week! I love you. Thanks for being amazing examples to me. Keep it up! And let me know of the miracles and tender mercies that happen to you and those lives you touch.

Love,
Hermana Godfrey 🙂

P.S. not enough time for photoos. But just know that I love you!

September 15 – el evangelio

Okay, let me tell you some really good stuff that happened this week. Like super good. First, Hermano E was baptized and confirmed this past weekend!!! It was super cool and such a great experience! He is just so ready for the gospel and it was so natural too (like he was just ready for it- really ready). He is doing great and I am sure he will continue to progress in the future just as well. The members really reach out to him and he is in good hands. It was for sure the hightlight 🙂

Also, we had a big miracle with one of our less active youth, M (the one who had his birthday the other week). He is kinda in a hard situtation right now with some things. He is a great young man but has just been missing in action at church for quite some time. But we really made the effort to go out and make contact with him several times a week. He came to mutual, the baptism and church this week! And even read a chapter of the Book of Mormon by himself! So incredible!

Guess what!? I got transfered. It was kinda a shock for me since I thought I’d stay here. But I guess Heavenly Father needs me elsewhere. I will be going to the LaSalle ward. It’s actually in my old stake, just further south. I love Zarahemla. The members and people we work with are so warm and just full of life and especially love. They have taught me a lot and I hope that I have been able to help them feel more of God’s love and brought them closer to our Saviour. There will be two other Sisters coming in and I know they will do an amazing job. It’s kinda sad to leave, but I am also excited to work with the people in LaSalle. It will also be neat because I will have the opportunity to work more with a lot of the other Sister missionaries. It will be great to learn and grow with them too. I can’t wait to keep serving as a representative of Jesus Christ 🙂

Love you all and have a great week!

Love,
Hermana Godfrey 🙂

sorry out of time to send pictures… next week. and they will be fantastic!

September 8 – Wahoo

This week was all about seeing the miracles of Heavenly Father- of connecting with His children and helping bring them closer to Him. Haha I guess every week is that but regardless, it was pretty cool.

One returning Sister we visit (and is preparing to recieve her patriarchal blessing) also has a less active son. The son only ever comes out but to say hello and then goes back in his room. But it was really neat because this time we got to know him a bit more and then he stayed out to play a game (first with get to know you questions and then with spiritual questions). It was really neat to see that change and have him participate with us and I think he had a good time 🙂

Also, something really cool. This past week we were at a members home for a little birthday party thing. It was all good and ordinary and then we had to leave to go make it to one of our appointments. The Mom and the daughter decided to take us. I was in the back seat with the daugther. It’s actually really neat, she doesn’t know that much spanish either, mostly french and is working on her english. She prefers to talk in English. So I took it as an opportunity to get to know her. It was amazing. We started talking. About normal things at first, school, things she likes, etc. And then she just opened up. We talked about where she feels she is spiritually and what she wants in the gospel. She told me her struggles and how its hard for her. She needs us, she needs good strong influences and testimonies. She told me of the one time she really felt the spirit in her life (girls camp- how neat is that) and how that’s what she wants to feel more than anything. So we made some plans. She set her alarm for 10:30 every night. When that goes off, she is going to go say her prayers. If she was at her friend’s house she could go use the washroom and say a prayer- she just needed to do it 🙂 She is also going to start reading the scriptures too. And we are going to try and do some of that together. It was really neat. That was Friday. Then Saturday came along. We had a pretty fun day with teaching English class, finding new people and then I just got super sick haha. It was near the end of the day and the thing was that we were locked out of our house so we thought of the family and they came to the rescue! We went to their house and guys, it was awesome. She just stayed there with me and we talked more. Such a great opportunity and she is super cool. She told me that the night before the alarm went off, she didn’t do it at first and said she would do it later. She got ready for bed and climbed in. She was about to sleep when she remembered that she didn’t pray. So she got out and then prayed. Then in the morning she remembered again and prayed in the morning! So cool!!! She said it felt really good. She is a really neat and beautiful young woman. I’m so happy and exciting to keep encouraging her and help build her up 🙂 It’s amazing how Heavenly Father works and puts us in the path of people that we need to touch and help them on the path to come back to our Heavenly Father. I love that.

Hermana G’s surprise birthday.

M (one in the red and green), his brothers M2 and M3. They are a pretty great family

Sister Torres, Sister Avaemai, Sister Ruiz and I. We all live together and Sister Avaemai made us a lunch to go after district meeting. Super nice. And she is from Tahiti (I will be going there one day)!

Some other quick highlights, planning two surprise birthday parties which it’s a lot of fun! And guess what is happening this weekend?!?! E is getting baptized. He had his interview yesterday and is ready. We are going to try and see him everyday to help him continue:)

Well I sure love you all and hope you have a fantastic week! Keep up the miracles and serving others. The gospel is true, perfectly true. I love you! You are amazing!

Love,
Hermana Godfrey 🙂

September 2 -Re: John 1:6-7, Joseph Smith translation- put your name in it

What an awesome week. Seriously. I loved it. Haha I feel so cheesy starting off the same way as usual but seriously, get ready for some miracles 🙂

We had a great opportunity to help out one of our less actives, A (la hija- it gets so confusing because her Mom’s name is A too. And usually in prayers when they are both together I end up saying A like 20 times and probably they don’t have a clue which one I’m talking about). Her Mom recently got baptized and in the beginning it was really just saying hello to her A (hija) when she was at her Mom`s. We would sometimes go and see her by herself and drop by but her desire to really listen wasn`t there. Plus, A`s husband was also really against religion in general and would never really even say hi to us. And usually crack jokes or something. Haha.

But through service things are changing and keep changing for the good! It was A`s husband`s (S) birthday and she called us to ask us to help her do a surprise birthday party. It was pretty fun making tacitos and pastalitos with her and her Mom. That food is SO good. But SO not good for you (tons of grease and carbs, anyhow…). We decorated, cleaned her place and it was all ready. When S came in with a few of his friends who were with him he was pretty happy. He even invited us to stay and eat cake with them (we didn`t because the friends had also brought beer but his sincere desire was super nice). And while we were cleaning and stuff we put on some mormon messages on his laptop. I told him that we saved him some mormon messages for him to watch later haha. He just laughed and said thanks. Haha he’s a funny guy. And A is becoming alot more receptive to the gospel and we are able to teach her more and she is super open with us now. Like, she really and sincerely likes us. Plus, she has the second cutest baby in the world (Eliza’s first obviously) and he ALWAYS laughs and smiles when he sees me. It`s amazing what the spirit of service and love can do 😀

Haha! This is how our surprise birthday party was transported to A’s house. Also, the tacitos fell on the bus… that was fun!

E is coming along. He is doing super great and we had a really cool spiritual lesson with him and 6 other members! One of the Sisters in the ward (she is like in her 70s and she is always willing to come out with us and loves it. When we onced asked her what her favourite thing to do was she was like, “To be with my family.” and then she added, “And also come out with the missionaries”. That will be me.) invited Sister Ruiz and I over to eat paposa and she invited a young man who is going on his mission, his Mom, her son and daughter in law and E! We talked about temples and family history work. The spirit was so strong. So strong. Everyone was just testifying and sharing the blessings they have received from the temple. Wow. Tonight E is giving the lesson at an FHE on baptism.

This family is so awesome. La familia Pina (it means pineapple!). Such great members. We played a gospel game for FHE!

This work is just super exciting. We are doing a lot better on finding and been having some success so we shall see where that continues to go this week. I am loving it. Of course there are the difficulties but everytime I need a little extra something, as I turn to the Lord, open up my heart, I am always filled. It’s amazing to see how that is done in so many ways. Sometimes, it’s in a scripture, sometimes just the peace you feel when you really pray to God, sometimes it’s answered in an email of love and encouragement, sometimes its seeing little kids do something funny or just in the kind actions of a companion. But always, always His love is there.

I am so grateful and love having a song or prayer in my heart. It fills me with light and happiness. I know our Father lives and loves me too. I know that He loves all of His children and wants us to become more like Him every day in our “eternal journey of the soul”.

I love each and every one of you. Thank you for your prayers and examples. You are incredible and I can’t wait to hear how the Lord touched your lives and helped you reach out to someone around you. Have a great week! Remember who you are and always remember to look up 🙂

Just me and my sunbreo. P.S. I love you!

Love,
Hermana Godfrey 🙂